In 2018, government announced they were levying a new 'sugar tax' to aid the health of the nation. It was meant to make sugar rich drinks more expensive so dissuading consumer purchase. For the first few months, there was a modest price differential where 'sugar free' varieties were cheaper. Then, retailers started to absorb the cost and they became the same - making the premise of the tax useless.

Today for the first time, I have now seen a national chain charge MORE for the sugar free version. Though I'm hardly surprised, most government initiatives end in abysmal failure.

Kinda like when government announced that diesel was the fuel of the future. They subsidised new car sales, then waited. When critical mass was reached they then increased the tax on diesel eventually making it more expensive than petrol, where it has remained ever since.

The thing about getting older is that you've seen it all before. As a youngster, I use to trust that government had my best interest at heart - they really don't...

Parity of pricing

Sugar free now more expensive...

 

Sugar.....

A certain breakfast cereal used to come in a 750gm pack, but is now in a big 700gm pack, but sugar consumption is reduced, because there are more servings in the 700gm pack than the 750gm pack !  Oh, and of course more expensive.

Similar thing with cetain cakes from a well known supermarket, low sugar consumption because there are 16 servings, but you would need a laser to cut it into that amount of servings ! (in my family the same cake might make 4 servings !)

Talk about bovine body waste !